I went through the same situation last year with a similar overpayment amount and chose the phone hearing - best decision I made! The judge was actually more focused on my evidence than anything else. Quick tip that really helped me: Before the hearing, I called the appeals office and asked them to confirm they received all my documentation. Turns out they were missing one of my pay stubs, so I was able to fax it over the day before. Also, during the phone hearing, I mentioned specific page numbers when referencing my evidence ("as shown on page 3 of my submitted documents") which seemed to help the judge follow along. The whole process took about 35 minutes and I won my case. The phone format actually worked in my favor because I could stay calm in my own environment and refer to my notes without feeling rushed. You've got this!

I did a phone hearing for my EDD appeal about 6 months ago and it went smoothly! I was nervous about it too, but honestly the judge couldn't have cared less that I wasn't there in person. They were all business - asked clear questions, listened to my responses, and reviewed my evidence. One thing that really helped me was having a quiet, dedicated space set up beforehand. I used my bedroom, closed the door, put my phone on speaker, and spread all my documents out on the bed in chronological order. Way better than trying to juggle papers in some stuffy government office. The key is really just being super organized with your evidence. Make sure you can quickly find any document they ask about. I won my case and honestly think the phone format made me less anxious, which probably helped me explain things more clearly. Go with phone - you'll be fine!

anybody know if u can set up direct deposit with money network instead of using their card? the BofA card was bad enough but at least i could transfer to my bank account for free

Just following up on this thread - did your payment ever switch from pending to paid? And did you get your Money Network card yet? I'm curious because my roommate is going through the exact same issue right now.

sounds like ur overthinking this tbh... 2 days off before u even start isnt what unemployment is for. file when the whole job ends

Just to add another perspective - I work in HR at a company that hires seasonal workers. Those initial closure days are pretty normal for retail/warehouse seasonal positions, especially around inventory time. Don't stress about it! One thing to keep in mind: when you do start working, keep track of your pay stubs and hours worked. If your employer consistently gives you fewer hours than what you were hired for (like if they promised 40 hours/week but only give you 20), THEN you might qualify for partial unemployment benefits. But you'd need to have worked long enough to meet the wage requirements first. Good luck with the new job!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Filed my appeal 6 weeks ago for a voluntary quit vs layoff dispute and have been so confused about why some weeks show "appeal" while my recent ones are "pending." Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea that pending weeks could potentially be processed separately from the appeal. I've been calling EDD for the past week trying to get through to someone who can explain what's happening with my account. What's really frustrating is that the EDD website doesn't explain any of this clearly. You just have to figure it out through trial and error or find communities like this where people share their actual experiences. @Maya Lewis I hope you were able to get through to someone! Your situation sounds identical to mine and several others here. For everyone still waiting - I'm going to keep trying the Claimyr suggestion that @Kaiya Rivera mentioned since regular calling hasn't worked for me yet. Will update if I learn anything new about how they handle pending weeks during appeals.

I'm new to this community but currently dealing with the exact same situation! Filed my appeal about 4 weeks ago for voluntary quit vs layoff and have been so confused about why some weeks show "appeal" while my most recent certifications are "pending." This thread has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no idea that pending weeks could potentially be processed separately from the appeal. Like everyone else here, the EDD website gives absolutely zero explanation about what these different statuses actually mean during an appeal process. Based on all the helpful advice shared here, I'm going to start calling EDD this week to specifically ask about my pending weeks. It's really encouraging to see that multiple people have successfully gotten their pending weeks paid while their appeal was still ongoing. @Maya Lewis really hoping you were able to get through to someone and got some clarity! Your situation sounds exactly like what I'm experiencing. Will definitely keep checking back to see if anyone gets updates from EDD about how this whole process actually works. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's such a relief to find people who understand how stressful and confusing this whole situation is!

Update on wait times: I attended a legal clinic for EDD claimants last week, and the attorneys there mentioned that decision times have actually increased in the past few months. They're seeing most decisions taking 12-14 weeks now, with some taking up to 16 weeks. This is apparently due to staff shortages at the Appeals Board and a recent increase in appeal filings. If you hit the 14-week mark without a decision, they recommended sending a formal inquiry letter to the Appeals Board citing California Unemployment Insurance Code Section 1336, which states decisions should be prompt. Include your case number, hearing date, and contact information. This sometimes helps move cases that have gotten stuck in the queue.

I'm going through a similar situation right now - had my appeal hearing in September for a "voluntary quit" disqualification (which was actually a layoff, but EDD coded it wrong). It's been about 10 weeks and still no decision letter. Reading everyone's experiences here is both reassuring and terrifying at the same time! I've been calling the Appeals Board every few weeks and they just keep saying "still under review by the Administrative Law Judge." At least I know from this thread that 12-14 weeks seems to be the new normal. The financial stress is unreal though - I've had to move back in with family and I'm basically living off credit cards at this point. One thing I wanted to add - my local legal aid office told me that if you're facing eviction or utilities being shut off while waiting for your appeal decision, you can request an "expedited review" from the Appeals Board. They said it doesn't guarantee faster processing, but they're supposed to flag urgent cases. Might be worth asking about if anyone is in a really desperate situation. Hang in there everyone - sounds like most people eventually get their decisions, it's just a matter of surviving the wait! 😩